The beautiful chalice you see pictured above was discovered quite
by accident in the closet of an inner city rectory. At the time of its
discovery it didn't appear quite as it does in this photo. The gold plating
had tarnished to an ugly green color, it had dirt caked on it from years
of sitting untouched, and a number of insects had found refuge in its base.

After a thorough cleaning, its true beauty began to emerge. From
a strictly artistic and historical perspective, the following facts were
obvious:It was cast in sterling. The gold plating is still in remarkably
good shape; it may have been replated at some point in its history.
Its baroque style was a popular one with Roman Catholic chalices from the
17th to the early 20th centuries. Its wide base and small tulip shaped
cup, combined with a narrow stem, points to a Spanish influence. This Spanish
style is further evident in the use of symbols of our Lord's Passion,
such as the Holy Nails and Veronica's Veil.

But of course nothing does more to confirm its Spanish origins than
what was perhaps the most interesting discovery of all. Upon a most careful
cleaning beneath the base, (and the removal of several dead insects), an
inscription was found. It has been the custom for centuries to inscribe
memorials on the bases of chalices. The idea being that the priest would
see it as he raised the chalice up high over his head at the consecration
during Mass. These were usually from family members and might be something
similar to "remember your mother and father, pray for us" etc. This particular
chalice was found to have a rather lengthy inscription in spanish, engraved
in a beautiful longhand style, probably by the goldsmith who made it.

A fairly close english translation (the spanish is somewhat archaic
in style) would be:

For the church of Palauig.Given by a devout (faithful) cleric (possibly a priest) native of
the aforementioned town.In the year 1873.

Directly below the date is a monogram which appears to be a P over
an M. These initials could belong to the donor, to the church (P for Palauig),
or even to the goldsmith himself.

From this inscription some facts can be determined. First and foremost,
Palauig is the name of a city in the Phillipines. Today there are a number
of Catholic churches and the population numbers in the thousands. But in
1873 it was a somewhat remote mission outpost, with only one Catholic church.
The Phillipines were of course a territory of Spain. The individual who
donated the chalice belonged to a native social class known as "naturales";
natives who had a somewhat higher ranking on the social ladder, yet still
below that of pure blood Spaniards.

Of course the biggest mystery of all is how a 19th century chalice
from an island thousands of miles away, ended up in the inner city rectory
where it was found? It might possibly have been a gift from a passing priest
who brought it with him on a fundraising visit to America. Another theory
proposed is that the area around Palauig was the scene of fierce fighting
between the Allies and the Japanese during WWII. It was common practice
for Catholic GIs to bring home souvenirs. Many rescued and brought back
sacred objects from bombed and looted churches; usually to be donated to
their local parish upon their return home.

At any rate, the most important thing is that this beautiful yet
humble gift was rescued yet again from an uncertain fate. Today it serves
to educate a younger generation about their Catholic heritage. And on certain
special occasions it still fulfills its original purpose; to grace the
altar during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

To view a number of close up photos of this chalice, including the
actual inscription, <<CLICK
HERE>>.

Anyone who might be able to provide more information about the history
of the city of Palauig in the Phillipines, and its possible relationship
to this piece, is invited to email me at the address provided on the
<<links page>>.